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When I was asked to write about the one reason I love homeschooling, it was so hard, yet at the same time so easy, to narrow it down to just one reason! My mind instantly flooded with all the wonderful things I love about homeschooling, but this one reason just jumped out to me!
This wasn’t the main reason I started homeschooling, but it quickly became one of the most important reasons I continue to homeschool!
Why I Love Homeschooling
I get the best of my kids and they get the best of me! – Kelly Milligan
I get the best of my kids:
Let me take a moment to explain what I mean. When I say I get the best of my kids, I mean I get them at their best! I get to see them, spend time with them, be around them while they are well rested, fed, and full of energy.
Getting the best of my kids gives us the opportunity to do things like this, and this and even this. It opens up a wonderful atmosphere for learning, developing and growing.
They get the best of me:
Not only do I get the best of my kids, they also get the best of me! They get me when I am well rested, fed, and full of energy (and most importantly: patient!)
We often do things like take impromptu trips to the nature centre, or the Zoo or even our local National Parks, because I am not too tired or have a million other things I need to do. My job is educating my kids! I have nothing better or more important to do! I love it that way!
The Alternative:
I am sure you can imagine this scenario: You are rudely awoken from your warm slumber by the alarm monster. You roll out of bed, and hop into the shower because you have somewhere you need to be! You finish showering, still exhausted from the day before. You head to the kids’ rooms and wake them up, telling them to get ready for their day of learning at school, then you head to the kitchen to get COFFEE… because, coffee! Of course you need to feed the little people too, so you make breakfast. Wake the kids yet again, remind them (yet again) to get dressed, brush their hair and teeth before they come down to eat. Finally, everyone is at the kitchen table and you’ve just finished your first coffee of the day and are now feeling awake enough to have 10 minutes of rushed connection with your kiddos. That’s it! You throw their lunches at them as they grab their backpacks and run out the door “Bye kids, I love you!!!!” you yell down the street after them.
The Result?:
All that rushing, and all you got was ten minutes of connection with your kids. Ten tired, rushed, and often nagging filled minutes!!
Then, of course, you are off and running to your job as well! A job that exhausts you and leaves you empty at the end of the day, still unable to give your kids the best of you.
That’s not for me!:
No thanks! I don’t rush connection! But let’s be honest, I still nag 😛 !
My best time is the morning, you know, after I am coffeed and fed, the time when I am most patient, most calm, most kind, most mothering, most fun and most refreshed… that is when I am the best version of me, and my kids get me during this time. All of me! Not just 10 minutes of me! I love that I can give them that! It feels like a gift! I love that I get the best part of my kids too, I get to see them at their best (and worst) all day long, through the ups and downs, everyday.
I would be remiss if I did not also mention, that along with getting the best of my children, I get the worst too! I get all the tantrums and all the tears, but I love to think of those times as opportunities to comfort and teach them! To treat them with love and kindness.
And in the same my kids get the worst of me too! Those times when I am frustrated and impatient and downright ugly, but I hope I turn those times into opportunities to show love and to teach them. Teach them how to be humble and apologize and how to overcome difficult times.
…drink coffee, love your kids ♥
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I totally agree. I’ve just recently had a conversation with my kids, that was quite interesting. The “what if we never decided to homeschool” convo… what memories would be obsolete? It was so sad to picture all those amazing times of learning together, fun, cuddling, talking and connecting disappear. It really puts it into perspective! Thanks for sharing your reason with us Kelly! Your blog almost makes me want to start drinking coffee, but tea is my fave… lol. 😉
I love that you got to have that talk with your kids!!! It’s a beautiful thing when they start to understand all the benefits of homeschooling too! And yes!!! Little, daily moments of connection just evaporate, I feel so lucky that I get to stay home with and homeschool my kiddos!
Also, I love tea too 😉
YES! YES! YES!
Thanks for the encouragement Amanda!
Love this! Yes, I agree that I love this time with my kids. As I read about when we get the best of them–but then, the worst of them too(and vice versa!-I have some ugly moments too. 😉 )….I could not help but think that WHEN those “worst” moments come for the kids, I am SO very glad that it is I who get to help them through their tantrum or whatever, and not some outsider who may not even handle it the way I would prefer. I’m glad I get to be there for my kids in those moments. 🙂
I love that too Rachel! When I think back to my time teaching in the schools, I remember some of those teachers and it makes me cringe and makes my heart ache so much.
Great post, thanks for sharing!
That alternative morning description, so accurate. I specifically remember living out those mornings as a child. I am not even close to a morning person, so I still fight mornings with all my might ;). I can’t even picture myself being capable of it. Although there are additional reasons I love homeschooling – sleep is definitely top 10! 😉
I remember those mornings as a kid too!!! I love my slow, lazy starts to the day! It feels like such a gift to bask in the glorious amount of time I have every morning…and I didn’t even touch on the amount of alone time I get each morning (GASP!).
I don’t think I am capable of it anymore, either!
First of all…EVERY time I see and read your blog name/title – it makes me smile! Coffee Mugs and Little Thugs = perfection!
I love that you have shared your open and honest opinion here in such a beautiful way! Many working Moms (and/or Dads) truly desire what we have, what we experience and what we get to absorb every day of our children’s life. They just need to hear it from bloggers like you and me! It’s taking that leap of faith and connection first with your family, then finding support outside our home. It’s all worth it…don’t you think?
First of all….thank you!!!! Choosing a blog name is hard work 😛 but I feel like I found something that matches me well 🙂 I was really unsure about calling kiddos Thugs, because I’m sure you know, people are easily offended! But I love it!
I totally do think it’s worth it Ashley! And thank you for your kind comments! It was hard for me to share this, because I NEVER want to make parents who aren’t in a position to homeschool feel bad and that they are missing out, but I really think they are. It is really hard to say that though.
Reading this again tonight brought me memories of the overwhelmed, over scheduled, rushed and unfulfilling life I use to have. Running from one place to the other, begging my kids to hurry up and feeling exhausted 24/07! That life is no more! Homeschooling has healed us in so many ways! It has allowed us to stop and connect, stop and have conversation, stop and read stories, stop to play and pray together. I don’t ever want to lose what we have now and go back to the craziness I used to call my normal life.
Love that Ana! I love that you are able to look back on what was and know that’s NOT what you want! These days are so valuable, and we really can’t get them back!
This is a HUGE reason we decided to homeschool. I was rushing out the door, always stressed b/c my child is SOOOO slow at getting ready to leave. And then when I picked her up from school, she was tired, cranky, and sometimes sad. This led to a challenging afternoon and evening, only to start the whole process over in the morning. It’s been so much better with not having to do that any more – we truly can enjoy the leisure of a slow morning, which we all love.
Esther, it was the same here. By the end of the day I was exhausted, cranky and unfulfilled. It was rush, rush, rush… no family time. We became disconnected as a family and something had to change. I’m so glad I can stay at home now and homeschool my kids, no rush, no overwhelming schedules, and a lot more quality time to connect and show love to each other.
Love that Esther! It’s that the best! Now you don’t get the exhausted, cranky parts of your kiddos, you really do get the best! HELLO!!! Don’t we moms deserve at least that :p